The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Since we are on the food subject, who has directions to some of the best burger joints in the Tulsa area.

Shorty's up on North Peoria around 66th Street in Turley makse some of the best grease burgers I have found.  

Freddies on East 6th on Lewis and East on 11th Street smashes a great burger.  

Ron's seems to have the best deal on the Hamburger/Cheeseburger Steak meal deal.

What are your favorites?

Hank's Hamburgers on Admiral and Brownie's on Harvard.

Weber's absolutely has the best cheeseburgers!  There's one in Brookside at 38th & Peoria and there used to be one at 68th & Lewis (I think it was Lewis) but it's no longer listed on their website (http://"http://webersoftulsa.com/").  Is it still there?

Webers is very good but I always get an upset stomach later.  Hanks is number one on my list when I want a cheeseburger.

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Originally posted by DScott28604

there used to be one at 68th & Lewis (I think it was Lewis) but it's no longer listed on their website (http://"http://webersoftulsa.com/").  Is it still there?

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Yes, it is still there and there is also one close to 71st Sheridan.

My Favorites are Rons, Karls on 91st Delaware, Scott's Hamburgers in Bixby, Lot A Burger, and Brownies on 21st Harvard.

Anyone remember Conner's Corner near 30th and Harvard?  That was the place advertised by the man that did the Ugh, You Need U M Tires ads on the radio.  Believe Conner was the first Burger Nazi in the area. Didn't serve many additions to his plain burgers.  Anyone have any stories about that place?

May need to split these in categories:
Flat Pan Grilled and Charcoal Grilled.  
Hard to grill the onions like Hank's and Freddies do on the charcoal type grill.  

Goldies builds a darn good charcoal grilled type burger, even if they use a gas burner.  They make a stuffed burger with cheese and onions that is a twist on the grill the onions style.  

Also Johnnies at 51st and Harvard, they use real shredded cheddar cheese on their burgers. Yummy.  I like the old drive in Chuck Wagon place in OKC, great charcoal burgers there.

St Michaels Alley in Ranch Acres has a decent burger that comes with a giant bowl of potato chips. The Strawberry Orange Sling Iced drink in the Summer topped it off.

Bill's Jumbo Burgers is the best, hands down.

It is a little dive, seats five and is just east of Utica and south of I-244.

His burgers inspire song.

I have only tried Bill's once.  My office is in Mid Town so I pass by there going to Downtown alot.  

Seems the closed sign is displayed most times I have been hungry.  Believe he is a Lunch Only Burger place. May have to try it again soon.

How about Claud's Hamburgers on Brookside. I'm reminded of the late Claud Sr. rubbing soap on the windows this time of year.  Some good cole slaw there.  

Anyone remember the small diner run by several senior ladies that set just west of Peoria near Clauds. Seems it was a house and they had a steam table and servered plate lunches in the late 1960's.

Bill's is extremely good.  It is only open for lunch.  You need to get there early because the line will be out the door.

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Originally posted by recyclemichael

Bill's Jumbo Burgers is the best, hands down.

It is a little dive, seats five and is just east of Utica and south of I-244.

His burgers inspire song.

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Would that bew the Whitney or the Dolly version of "I will always love you?"

Just kidding.

Johnnies, Goldies, Karl's, Lot-A-Burger, and Webers are OK but not great. Rons is great when you rate it the same way you rate philly cheesesteaks, how well you can see through the wrapper.

One's that are gone:

Chuck Wagon on East 11th Street between Lewis and Utica. Sat on the South Side of 11th Street.  Hub Burger, Wheel Burger.... GIANT with the BEST French Fries.  

Conner's Corner near 30th and Harvard sat in the corner of the shopping center on the East side of Harvard.

Partners, sat east of Oertle's on 11th Street.  It was a small diner looked like a rail road car.

Kings Burgers ? sat on the NW corner of 31st and Sheridan.

In Midtown I like Ty's near 15th and Harvard, and Claud's near 41st and Peoria.  Both great local places.  On the westside near 51st and Union there is a great place called Arnold's, if you're in that area give it a try.

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Originally posted by MH2010

Bill's is extremely good.  It is only open for lunch.  You need to get there early because the line will be out the door.

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Last time I called an order in at Bill's on a Friday, they answered the phone with "Taking Orders for 12:30". I looked at my clock and it was 10:55 am.

That is how busy they can be, especially on a Friday.  But it is worth it.

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Originally posted by AMP

One's that are gone:

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Johnny Harden's on 11th Street before he got into KFC.....

Rick still has the Hardens Hamburgers at 4th and Sheridan.  They make a great Cheese Burger Steak dinner there. Sweet Tea to wash it down with.

There was a second Hardens location at 3rd and Lewis but it is now Ralph's.  Same type menu, but no longer a Hardens.

I have never tried the Tys Burgers, don't know why, just never remember it I seen it is closed when ever I go there.

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Originally posted by Goodpasture

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Originally posted by AMP

One's that are gone:

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Johnny Harden's on 11th Street before he got into KFC.....

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Seems like I remember Hardens had one of the first KFC restaurant franchises in Tulsa in the early-mid 1960s.  I remember their KFC at about 24th & Sheridan with the revolving KFC bucket sign.  My family used to get a "bucket" of KFC on occasion, back when take out food was considered a rare treet.

Jerry's famous J.J's Gormet Burgers where the Tulsa Rubicon Head Shop once was up north on Peoria. Home of the original "Tulsa Tops Papers"

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Originally posted by AMP


I have never tried the Tys Burgers, don't know why, just never remember it I seen it is closed when ever I go there.

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I didn't really care for Ty's... could have just been the onion rings that left a bad taste in my mouth, but it isn't a place I'll go back too.

Fast Eddie's at 101st Sheridan is pretty good as well.

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Originally posted by PRH

Conner's Corner was the best hamburger place I ever ate.

Too bad so few remember it now.  I would love to know what they seasoned the hamburgers and potato chips with.

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You must be getting up there.....30th and Harvard? My memory serves me well.....

Stonehorse now has Tulsa's best boyger.....trust me on this.

the best hamburger place is arnolds in west tulsa.

Where is the Stonehorse located?  

Is it a gormet thick charcoal burger or a thin fry grilled burger?

Connor's Corner was located in the corner of the stip center just north of the Bank. 30th and Harvard on the East Side of the street.

The man that did the radio ads for them also did the Hug, U Needum Tires radio ads. His name was Jim Wheaton.    

There was a great Itallian place across the street that serverd a marvelous Sunday Brunch.  They had wine bottles with tons of melted candle wax on them. Can't recall the name. That building became Dr. Z's Eye Glasses.

Story about Jim Wheaton the voice of Conner's Corner and U-Needum Tires.
http://tulsatvmemories.com/imag1999/wheaton.jpg

From Tulsa TV Memories:

Jim Wheaton's name has come up on this page a few times. He was a colorful radio pitchman in the late 60s and 70s (and a little into the 80s) in Tulsa. His unique voice was heard on spots for Connor's Corner, Gary Henry Chevrolet, and many others. His most famous series of spots was for U-Need-M tires. That hokey tom-tom opened each spots, followed by Jim's gutteral, "Ugh! You need 'em tires?"

He was basically a one man ad agency; obtaining clients, buying time, writing and recording the spots, etc. He didn't pay too much attention to the length of his spots and the radio stations in those days didn't worry too much about it. (Unrelated to Wheaton, those live remotes from car dealers, etc., on Saturday morning back in the 70s never got within 50 yards of a stopwatch either) Anyway, I was Program Director for KRMG about 1981 when we added ABC Radio. I told the sales rep handling Jim's account that he would have to crack down on him because we had to meet the network. Jim got so mad at us "tampering with his creativity" that he pulled all his spots for a week or so. I had to send him a letter assuring him that he was wonderful, but if he buys 30 sec he gets 29 and if the spots went overtime we'd have to reject them. In response he bought a schedule for some client where he complained (in the spot!) about KRMG rejecting his spots, and used the last five seconds to count down to zero. He eventually got over it, however, and tightened up his spots, but he held a grudge against me ever after.

Sadly, Jim died of cancer in the early 80s.

Jim Wheaton was a colorful part of Tulsa broadcasting history.

The place across the street was owned by Lorice Saffa Wallace and I can't recall the name but they moved there after the Harvard Club closed around '80. The Chalet?

Stonehorse is in Utica Square. The burger is thick and juicy grilled. Pay more and you get quality.

Best fried burger is tough to call....Ron's, Brownies, Claud's...depends what you want with it...Ron's+fries, Brownies+Root beer, Claud's+Brookside....

And Wheaton was a monument..."U NEEEDUM TIRES?"

Mr. T's on Peoria back in the 50's.

Suprized there were no films of more of Tulsa'a Country Clubs on the Tulsa Fantastic Films.

Ah, the wonderful Harvard Club. Got a few sunburns there back in the day.  

And Jack and Elenore Sig that owned the other great private swimming club the Cabana Club  that sat behind where the Green Onion is today on 51st West of Yale.  Had the underground room with the window you could see into the giant swimming pool.  Two story tanning platform, that concrete got Super Hot, but was shaded below.

Grassy area with giant trees in front for picnics and parties.  

Great swings out front, shuffle board, croquet range and the best snack bar up on the hill with those frozen ice cream sundaes you ate with a wooden spoon.  

The Cabana Club was one of Tulsa's hot spots.  

Parties were always at the Sig's home in the back of the property after hours.  

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Also there was another club off of Lewis near the SW corner of Southern Hills, The Candle Wood Club.  Used to go there when I was 10 up to adult time.  I was a member and ate there two or more times a month for 10 years. They had an awesome restaurant and two or three pools.  One for adults and one for teens, plus the kiddie pool.  

And of course Southern Hills which is still there today.  They made some great burgers that were delivered to you pool side. Best deal was you just signed for them on the members account. Yummy  

Another great Tulsa Radio Ad Talent was the late Ridge Bond.  He did voice overs at KELI,  KRMG and other radio stations for years.

First ever portable Color TV Camera I ever saw was owned by Ridge Bond.  He was filming local ads on location with the thing. It was made by Sony. His office was in the Fikes Building on the South East corner of 51st and Lewis, in the corner office suites.  There was a great Burger Place in there.  We were around 13 at the time and got to charge the food there, so that was neat.  

Ridge played the part of Curley in the Broadway production of Oklahoma.  

Seems Ridge Bond and Leon Russell should of had mention in the Centennial Celebration.    

We used one of the cameras for our Science Fair project in 1965, maybe.

Ron's cheeseburger w/ grilled onions is one of my favs.

I used to love Goldies. Ate there all the time (51st/ Lewis)
in the 70's/80's, but now the burgers are too salty for my taste.
I dunno, maybe they've always been that way & I'm just now
noticing.

Ted's Hamburgers on Edison Street by Central High School is another Tulsa Great Hamburger place.  

Just got back with a bag of burgers and salads visiting one our associates businesses near by. Glad they reminded me of Ted's

They serve an inexpensive $2.99 Chef Salad also.

Great Fries and big burgers.

Backyard Burgers...the blackjack burger is so yummy....as well as the black and bleu.

Police: Owner of Ted’s Hamburgers found stabbed to death in his west Tulsa restaurant

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/police-man-found-stabbed-to-death-inside-ted-s-hamburgers/article_eeb13ebf-809c-5f77-8b0c-aaa9467f0534.html (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/police-man-found-stabbed-to-death-inside-ted-s-hamburgers/article_eeb13ebf-809c-5f77-8b0c-aaa9467f0534.html)